Hamzah Sheeraz will be permitted a voluntary defense of his WBO title
Posted: 26 Jun 2026, 05:46
Hamzah Sheeraz will be permitted a voluntary defense of his WBO title
WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz will be permitted a voluntary defense of his title, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has confirmed to BS.
Sheeraz, 23-0-1 (19 KOs), claimed the vacant WBO strap with a third-round stoppage against the overmatched Alem Begic in May on the Egypt bill topped by Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight bout with Rico Verhoeven. Sheeraz made light work of Begic, hardly getting out of first gear in the win, and due to that a quick turnaround was on the cards. BS reported earlier this month that Sheeraz was in play to feature on the undercard of Anthony Joshua-Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Per WBO regulations of world championship contests, Sheeraz has up to 180 days (six months) after winning the title to discharge a mandatory title defense obligation unless otherwise determined by the WBO championship committee. Sixty days prior to the mandatory, Sheeraz should be notified of the mandatory obligation.
WBO super middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz will be permitted a voluntary defense of his title, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has confirmed to BS.
Sheeraz, 23-0-1 (19 KOs), claimed the vacant WBO strap with a third-round stoppage against the overmatched Alem Begic in May on the Egypt bill topped by Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight bout with Rico Verhoeven. Sheeraz made light work of Begic, hardly getting out of first gear in the win, and due to that a quick turnaround was on the cards. BS reported earlier this month that Sheeraz was in play to feature on the undercard of Anthony Joshua-Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Per WBO regulations of world championship contests, Sheeraz has up to 180 days (six months) after winning the title to discharge a mandatory title defense obligation unless otherwise determined by the WBO championship committee. Sixty days prior to the mandatory, Sheeraz should be notified of the mandatory obligation.
